Sailing Sites

Site owners

Dwight Wessel

Middle Potomac Sailing Association

The Middle Potomac Sailing Association is for people that would like to race their sail boats in a relaxed environment with other boats that are primarily cruising boats. It is also open to race oriented boats. Members are primarily sailors from Cobb Island, Colonial Beach and Dahlgren. This is a new sailing association on the Potomac River; we are going into our sixth season.MPSA was started with the intention of bringing together sailors from the immediate area and to increase the interest of the general public in the sport of sailing.

At this time there are no dues, no plans for a club house and we do not require a PHRF Certificate to come out and race. We are working to expand and grow our racing events with other nearby yacht clubs. We have plans for cruises to nearby marinas and raft-ups at many of the protected creeks along the Potomac River.

This site will be used to post schedules of planned events, pictures from these events and race results.

This is a new web location for this group; everything is under development, so expect changes.

Please remember to send in a “2015 Standard Yacht Race Entry
Form”.This helps us keep you guys straight
and get results completed without guessing boats and names.Funny thing is we often know the boats but
struggle with owners.I guess that is a sign
you have the bug bad when you know more about a boat than the owner. This
is also a release form that any organization would appreciate having in case
there is ever a mishap.

Hello all, the sailing season for MPSA has been a
washout. Most of the boats that have participated
over the past few years have moved on to different boats, different hobbies or
moved out of the area. We will just
play future events by ear if there is interest from a few boats we will put something
together. Otherwise without at least 3
emails of interest there will not be a race.
Enough of that, it has been fun, who knows maybe some new boats will come
along.

There is a race coming up September 19 – 20 the St Clements
Race. This race is sponsored by Dahlgren
Yacht Club. There is a new format this
year there are 2 marks a start and a finish, there is no mention of PHRF ratings
just a race down the river. This maybe
just what is needed to bring this event back.

Please let me know also this may help get a few others that
are sitting on the side line involved.

Dw.mpsa@gmail.com

July 11, 2015

We will be canceling the MPSA race scheduled for today July, 11. We will make efforts to reschedule. Sorry for the short notice.

Dwight

July 7, 2015

The Notice of Race for the July 11 MPSA/PYRC Race is posted under MPSA Documents.

The Middle Potomac Sailing Association is hosting a race Saturday July 11. The race is one of the qualifying races for the Potomac Yacht Racing Council Series.The NOR is posted at

The Notice of Race for the July 11 MPSA/PYRC is posted at https://sites.google.com/site/middlepotomac/home/mpsa-documents/MPSA_NOR_RI_20150711

On-water rendezvous at 1130 in the vicinity of Potomac River Y N “N” off of Colonial Beach with a start time at 1200 between Potomac River Y N “N” and the Race Committee Boat. A yellow sphere will be used in place of the Race Committee Boat if a RC boat is not on station.

The current forecast is for partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the upper 80’s. If you plan to attend please let us know by email, if you have not submitted a 2015 Standard Yacht Race Entry Form.rtf please do so.

June 8, 2015

The Middle Potomac Sailing Association is coming up on the
second schedule race of the series. The
race will be held off Cobb Island with a 1:00 start. If you have been thinking about coming out
get together with a friend or family and spend some time on the water. If you are going to come out Saturday you
will need to send me an email dw.mpsa@gmail.com
so that we can get a head count. I will
need this email by noon Friday.

There is big boat headed in our
direction making its way to Old Town for its
three-day visit to Alexandria.The French
tall ship Hermione has crossed the Atlantic for a 12-city tour along the East
Coast. It’s sailing to Alexandria from Mount Vernon. It arrived in Yorktown a
few days ago. The ship is a replica of the boat that took 5,500 French troops
to fight the British during the American revolution in 1780. Construction of
Hermione began in 1997 based on its sister ship, La Concorde.

The ship should see perfect
weather while it is docked in Alexandria, Friday is the last day the ship is
docked before it sails to Annapolis

If
you would like to follow travels of the Hermione
you can do that here.http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/details/ships/shipid:180670/mmsi:228052600/imo:0/vessel:LHERMIONE

http://www.hermione2015.com/

The Sailing Center Chesapeake is having a funraiser on the Potomac to
support youth sailing in the region. Along with some great dinghy
sailing there will be a keelboat course to go along with it.

Awards Ceremony and Beach Party for participants on Saturday evening at Tall Timbers.

April 7, 2015

The schedule for 2015 season is posted. Take a look there is a big change all
of the races will be held off Cobb this year.
There are 2 posted courses for Cobb I will make efforts to come up with
another course or two. If anyone has any
suggestions let me know. The plan is
similar to past years with each race being on the second Saturday of the month. The start is 1:00 with the races being held
off Cobb and nearly all of the participants from Cobb there is a possibility we
could move the start time up, suggestions please.

Make efforts to come out, mark the date, grab some family or
friends and spend some time on the water .

October 5, 2014

The Middle Potomac Sailing Association has it last race of the
season scheduled for Saturday October 11.
This race is listed as a Colonial Beach Race with an 11:00AM start. We will be relocating this to a Cobb Island
Race with 11:00 start. If you want to
get out for a race this season this is it.
If you plan to come out please send me an email at dw.mpsa@gmail.com. If I do not hear from at least 2 other boats
by Thursday I will cancel. I will post on MPSA web site Thursday evening
if we will have a race Saturday. I am
sorry for the short notice but due to the end of season and the recent participation
we need a head count before making the effort to pull this off.

I hope everyone has some plans to enjoy the last weeks of
the sailing season. We will look at
this program next year to see if there is enough interest to continue these
races.

I raced with Denis Besette on Shadowfax. He sent out the following write-up on the
race and the journey home.

We won the regatta, as
expected, since the strong competition sails in non spinnaker. The two
challenges were competing against Tenounce a very well sailed Ranger 33, Moovin
a fast Olsen 911 but most of all, not running aground! The course
was a tricky round Heron Island. I underestimated our ability to find the
marks. Many were not a visible as expected and with many buoys around it
was confusing picking the ones we need to honor and what to ignore. We
had many problems on the first race but luckily flew the spinnaker reasonably
well as we zigzag around trying to find the proper direct to a mark and at the
same time avoid running aground. Our worst one was having to double back
and go around a mark I didn't know existed. That gave Tenounce a chance
to catch up and we had tough completion from them all the way to the
finish.

Second race the sail
handling improved but or navigation was still way off. Worst mistake was
taking our spinnaker down when we thought the next leg was up wind and it
wasn't! So we had a rather long and slower downwind than was necessary
and that allowed Tenounce to pass us one more time. Then again there was
the long up wind zigzag looking for mark, but Tenounce and Movin did provide
some interesting competition.

The real even was the
sail home. We were prepared to spend the night, because the forecast
called for strong winds on the nose. But as we did the last race and attended
the post race Blessing of the Fleet event the wind was dying. So we
elected to head out for home, in what were expected to be moderate
headwinds. BIG MISTAKE. As we cleared St
Clements the wind and seas built from 10-12 knots to higher and higher wind and
more steep waves. The waves sometimes slowed us down to 2 knots. We
finally got a decent angle on the wind an put up reefed main. That got
the boat steadied out and our speed to 4.5 to 6 knots depending on gusts and
lulls. After sunset the wind suddenly built to higher and higher speeds, creating
larger waves, getting cold as well. We were overpowered, and really
needed the second reef, but I had not yet tied the reefing line into the
leach. In the rough conditions that attempt, could lead to falling
overboard. So I decided to turn around as we were getting toward the
north side of Colonial Beach and head into Monroe Bay. We parked the boat
for the night there. So now Ed Allen got to experience firsthand the
curse of the Potomac for PYRC ferry operations. So Jim Roehl, it was good
one for you to miss.

When I got home, I
check the winds on the Baber point station. They were showing gusts
over 30 and averaging 25. It had to be greater off shore.

September 24, 2014

The St. Clements Race was held Saturday Sept. 20. The
weather was sunny and warm but with a definite lack of breeze in the morning. The start was
delayed due to the lack of breeze. There
were 6 boats that started the race 3 of these boats were DNF due to dropping
out shortly after the start. With a little
patience you could see a wind line working its way up river. This was the beginning of the wind which continued
to build throughout the day.

Once making it past G29 the wind filled in. It was not long before you could see white
caps with winds in the low to mid teens.
With temperatures in the upper 70’s, clear skies and a building breeze
it made for a great day of sailing. As with
a lot of sailing it often seems the winds wants to blow out of the direction
you are headed. This made for a challenging
sail down river.

Of the 3 remaining yachts Avonna extended while My Whole in
the Water and Rheaulthien battled it out in the back of the 3 boat fleet. Rheaulthien had a late start due to sailing
in to the DYC Marine to pick up 5 gallons of gas my son brought out to me. I really need to get that gas gauge
fixed. Rheaulthien and Hole in the Water
began trading tacks half way down the course.
Rheaulthien pulled ahead while Hole in the Water was busy checking crab
traps. The course was shortened to J
due the late start and the extra miles sailed.
Rheaulthien and Hole in the Water headed back to Cobb Island while
Avonna continued on to Canoe Neck Creek.
Thanks to Avonna for handling RC and Hole in the Water for sticking it
out for a fun day on the water. For
those that dropped and took a DNF you missed a good sail down river.

The next race of the MPSA Series will be held off Colonial
Beach, October 11. The start time will
be 11:00. Check MPSA site for
courses. Please send me an email if you
plan to attend. Any announcements will
be posted on the web site also prior to the race.

August 25, 2014

The Middle
Potomac Sailing Association will not be hosting the next race. Dahlgren Yacht Club will be hosting the St.
Clements Race on September 20. MPSA has
piggy back on this race every year it is often one of the most well attended
race. This has been a popular event for
both the race and the raft up. The raft up is a good time for
everyone to meet and share a race story over dinner. If you have not
come out for any other race do not let this stop you.

If
you plan to participate in this race you need to send a race entry form to sail427@yahoo.com. The entry deadline for this race is
September 18. The start for this race will be Red nun “2” off Black
March between Barber Point and Stoney Point. The start time is 10:30 the
sequence will begin at 10:24. The NOR and the sailing instructions
are posted at DYC web site http://dahlgrenyachtclub.org/a_race_invitrace_invit.

Even if
you have submitted a race entry to MPSA you will need to submit a race entry to
DYC for this race. The entry form is
located at http://dahlgrenyachtclub.org/race/RaceEntryForm.pdf
There is no entry fee so get busy and
send in your race form. There is a Word version of the RaceEntry.pdf under MPSA Documents.

As we
start to move in to fall racing season there are few other event in the area
you may be interested in.

The last race of the MPSA series will be held on October
11 off Colonial Beach

August 8, 2014

The Sat. Aug 9, MPSA Race off Cobb is canceled due to lack of participation.

I have not heard from anyone that is planning to come out for the August 9 race. If I do not heard from at least 2 other boats we will cancel this event. I will post later this evening if the race is on or canceled.

August 3, 2014

The Middle Potomac Sailing Association will be holding their
next race on August 9. This is a Cobb Island
event with a rendezvous off GC a start time 13:00. Courses are posted at https://sites.google.com/site/middlepotomac/home/courses. If you plan to attend please send an email to dw.mpsa@gmail.com letting us know your intention.

The 41st Maryland Governors Cup was Friday August 1, there was
a total of 19 boats that registered for the Potomac leg. This is a 46 mile race that starts just outside
Dahlgren at 6:00 PM. The weather on
Friday was wet; the weather on Friday night was wetter and chilly. The fleet had a close hauled run down river
in building breeze and chop. This all
made for a cold wet night. Result are
posted at https://www.smcm.edu/govcup/Results2014/PotomacResults2014.html

The following is Denis Bessette Governors Cup Report

Governors Cup Report

We are back from the Governor’s Cup Potomac leg and still
recovering. The NOAA weather report
called for light winds out of the southeast no more than 5-8 knot s shifting to
NE after midnight. Seem to indicate a
long slow race. However the Chesapeake
Bay Operation Forecast System (CBOFS) called for winds staying in the southeast
and increasing to 15-20 knots near the mouth of the Potomac... What really happened in a four word summary
was a WET, WET, WET and WINDY race. It
was the wettest race I and any of my crew ever participated in. That feeling
was echoed by all the participant we talked to. Before 8:00 PM we had the forecast light
showers, but at 8:00 it started raining seriously. It did not let up all night. It rained light and it rained hard but it
kept raining, The CBOFS forecast turned out to be right. After passing Ragged Point the winds really
picked up and so did the rain. The waves
were steep and choppy with many breaking over the bow. Somehow I found myself as the most forward
crew position. How did that happen? As
skipper and old man I should have been in the cockpit. I sure got outmaneuvered. Wes Marshall was helmsman after Ragged Point
and earned iron man honors as the rain was now coming in vertical. It stung your eyes looking into it. But he
kept the boat driving at top speed pounding our way toward MOA “A”.

The race started benignly enough in light 5-8 knots SE as
predicted. Shadowfax and Rogue, an
Ultimate 24 from DISC, were first across the line and we held the lead for a
while. The Ultimate slowly pulled ahead
and pointed better. After a while though
we noted that we were going faster but lower.
They tacked first and we and the rest of the fleet kept going on
port. Luckily we waited for a new wind
line to hit us and tacked. The wind now was
at ten knots and provided us with a lift that soon got us in the lead. However some of the bigger faster boats,
especially Dark Star, pulled ahead. As
darkness fell the wind kept building and we had none of the ideal wind
direction and glorious sunset of last year.
It was tack after tack, guessing at wind shift and best wind locations.

After turning at MOA “A” we had a very fast beam reach for
about six miles to the mouth of the St. Mary’s River. With the high wind and the wind direction chances
of flying the spinnaker successfully were slim.
So we stayed with the Genoa. We saw
a couple of Annapolis boats with spinnaker, but I think they were
gennakers.

Finally we had the always tricky St Mary’s river. We had to tack our way up, fighting off the
fast boats out of Annapolis. We finished
just after 5:00AM.

We managed to trophy with a third place, behind a couple of
tough competitors from DISC – Dark Star and Rogue.

Doug Savage skipper of Darkstar related to me that he shredded
his #1 when hit by a gust that took the wind speed from 14 knots to over
30. We fortunately didn’t see that. Others reported gusts in the 20s which seems
about right. It was hard to tell in the
dark and rain.

After the race all boats had the look of laundry day with
clothes and equipment being hung on lifelines and booms. Every skipper I talked to said their boats
were completely wet. Not a dry
compartment anywhere.

Now that I reported all the good stuff, I would encourage
other DYC member to participate in the race.
It can be challenging but very enjoyable as well. You’ll also find a nice family atmosphere to the post race activities. This year we had some entries from Fishing
Bay Yacht Club so race interest is growing.
Being home port for the start of the race, we should have more local
representation. So consider putting it
on your calendar for next year.

I’d like to thank Dennis Hannick and his crew
for providing another excellent race committee for the start.Our race committee did a great job as
usual.

July 21, 2014

The results from July, 12 race are finally posted. Sorry for the delay sometimes it takes a bit
of time to get everything sorted.

The day started out with light winds as we were making our
way to the race. It really looked as this
was going to be a non-event but the weatherman’s prediction for the winds to
build throughout the day came true. As we
got to start time the winds were blowing in the 5 to 10 range. The course was the Colonial Beach short
course run counterclockwise. This was as
close to an up wind start as possible but was really a reach, a long downwind
leg, and long upwind leg back to the start finish. Everyone had a good start even with Shadowfax
being over early and making back around the mark with the fleet. It did not take long for the fleet to spread
out. Moovin and Shadowfax extended on
the long downwind leg.

This being a 2 lap race the winds continued to build through
the race. The winds moved into the low teens
by the start of the second lap. It was
not taking long to get around 5.2 mile course.
By the time we got on the last up wind leg the winds had moved into the
mid to upper teens.

We had 6 yachts turnout with We Few coming down from
Washington to participate Potomac River Champion Series Race. Thanks to everyone coming out also thanks for
your patience in getting the results out.

If anyone has pictures from the race can you send them to me
I will post them on the MPSA web site.

The Notice of Race for the July 12 MPSA/PYRC Race is posted under MPSA Documents.

The Middle Potomac Sailing Association is hosting a race Saturday July
12. The race is one of the qualifying races
for the Potomac Yacht Racing Council Series.The NOR is posted at

The Notice of Race for the July 12 MPSA/PYRC is posted at https://sites.google.com/site/middlepotomac/home/mpsa-documents/MPSA_NOR_RI_20140702

On-water
rendezvous at 1130 in the vicinity of Potomac River Y N “N” off of Colonial
Beach with a start time at 1200
between Potomac River Y N “N” and the Race Committee Boat. A yellow sphere will be used in place of the Race
Committee Boat if a RC boat is not on station.

The current forecast
is for partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the upper 80’s. If you plan to attend please let us know by
email, if you have not submitted a 2014 Standard Yacht Race Entry Form.rtf please do so

July 2, 2014

The Middle Potomac Sailing Association held a race off
Colonial Beach on Saturday June 14. The
day started out with winds in the upper teens and white caps blowing down the
river. The sail from Cobb over to
Colonial Beach was a good test of your main sail reefing system or abilities. It was a up wind sail for the 2 boats that
sailed over from Cobb. We were able to pinch our way over without tacking too often.

By start time it was
a pleasant day on the water, the winds dropped to a more manageable level. We were able to shake the reef out of the
main and roll the jib out a bit more. We did a 5.2 mile course with the first 2
boats finishing in just over an hour and a half. The course gave us a long upwind and downwind
leg with a short reach to the finish.

For anyone from Colonial Beach this would have been a nice
race. You could have come out as the
winds were starting to lay down and raced right off the Colonial Beach water
front. It was a pleasant sail home with
the winds beginning to build again as we reached Cobb Island. Thanks
to those that came out I hope you enjoyed the day on the water.

The next race of the MPSA series is July 12. This race is one of the Potomac River
Series Races for more information on the Potomac River Series seehttps://pyrc.shutterfly.com/. The
course for this race are posted under the heading Courses. This should be one of the bigger races in our area.
For boats above the 301 bridge boats that need two races below the bridge will likely
be attending. This race and the Potomac
Leg of the Maryland Governors Cup are 2 of the closer races. We will have a NOR posted in the next day or so. Sorry about the delay that is one of problems of

being a 2 person show.

June 12, 2014

The MPSA Race for Saturday June 12 is on. We have 4 boats registered for the race. If you are still interested in coming out it
is not to late make it. If you do plan
to come out please send me an email so that we can make sure we score you
correctly.

The weather for Saturday is looking good the current forecast

A mainly sunny sky.
High around 80F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.

If you have not
submitted 2014 Standard Yacht Race Entry Form please do
so. dw.mpsa@gmail.com

The Middle Potomac Sailing Association is sponsoring a race
Saturday June, 14 off Colonial Beach.
The start time will be at 1:00 with a rendezvous YN. If you plan to attend please send an email
to dw.mpsa@gmail.com. If
there is a change it will be posted on the MPSA web site.

The weather prediction for Saturday is 84 and sunny. There is a chance of a storm but it will be
that way through late September. Then
again can is any weather forecast accurate for more than 12 hours out?

Sorry about the short notice.

May 9, 2014

The Middle Potomac Sailing Association Race planned for Sat.
May 10 is canceled, due to Mother’s Day.
No, not really I did hear from 4 folks that said they could not make it
and one that said they could. Without 3
boats that indicate they plan to come out we will cancel. Enjoy the weekend and Mother Day, maybe take
a Mom sailing.

The next race is scheduled for June, 14 off Colonial Beach.

May 3, 2014

The first race of the Middle Potomac Sailing Association
Series is coming up Saturday May 10. If
you plan to attend this race please send an email to dw.mpsa@gmail.com with a release form. The release form and courses are located on the
MPSA web site. The start time is 1:00
with a rendezvous – G C “19”.

These are casual races all of the participants are generally
racer/cruiser types. Most of these races
are non-spin. We do have a few boats
flying spinnakers. If you are new to
this get a couple of friends together bring some snacks and enjoy some time on
the water.

March 3, 2014

As we look out at an early March snow surely there is warmer
weather coming. There has been maybe one warm weekend otherwise it has been winter.
It is now spring the average temperature should be in the mid 50’s. We are looking at another week of winter
after that we will fast forward to spring. Now is the time to get those spring projects
lined up. Get them started and done, so
you are not there in mid May sweating in the yard with your boat on the
hard. Get that bottom paint, maybe take a
look at the water base paint, much nicer to use and clean up.

The MPSA 2014 race/event schedule is posted. We are going to move the start times up to
1:00. Many of the other yacht clubs
start at 10:00 to 10:30. We all travel a bit to get to the race course in Cobb,
Colonial Beach or Dahlgren, which is really just Colonial Beach north. If there are others that would like to look at
moving the times up more let me know we can look into it.

The race/event schedule has other races in the area many of these races are part of the PYRC Series. This series has continued to grow if you are
interested in getting involved take a look at http://potomac-yacht-racing.org. These races always turnout an addition
boat or two which improves the racing.
We picked up some interest from a couple of Dahlgren boats last year
there at least one new boat Cobb that plans to come out. Now if we can get another boat out of CB.

October 17, 2013

My apologies for a mistake in the rating for Avonna which
make for changes in the non spin class.The corrected results are posted.Congratulations to Avonna for taking first in the non spinnaker class.It was a great day on the water we will make
efforts to do better on the after race result in the future.

There is one more
regatta on the Potomac I am aware of. The Frostbite Regatta at Quantico Yacht Club, is on October 26.This is one of the
classic regattas on the Potomac they always have a good turn out from other
nearby yacht clubs.This is one of the
more hospitable clubs on the river there is always a good feed after the race
and often slips are available for traveling yachts.I
was once a member there so I have fond memories of racing there.

Don’t put that boat way yet there is some good fall
sailing ahead, enjoy

October 15, 2013

The Middle Potomac Sailing Association sponsored a PYRC
Regatta off Colonial Beach on Saturday October, 12.The conditions were classic for mid October
with cool temperatures and brisk winds.After 3 to 4 days of rain prior to the regatta the rain gave us a
break to get a great race in. There was a mix of reefed and not reefed mains
and heads sails of different sizes.We were able to get in 2 laps of the Colonial
Beach Course “A” for a 10.4 mile course.

We had a turnout of
10 yachts with 4 boats in the spinnaker class with 6 boats racing non spin.Congratulations to Tom Owen and crew of the
Catalina 27, Blue Heaven for taking first overall and first in the spinnaker
class.Congratulations to Bob Donaldson
on Evergreen for taking first in the non spin class.

If you are not filmier with the MPSA starting and finishing
procedure all starts are done over the radio monitor channel 68.There will be one start.Boats will be scored spin and non- spin classes.
There will not be a RC Boat.Announce your finish time over the
radio.It is helpful if the first boat
that finishes sits at the finish line and take times. We will make efforts to get 2 races in.

As in all sail boat races it is always a good idea to write
down the time of the boat in front and behind you in case there is a
disagreement.Hope everyone makes it’s
out and does not get scared off by the current weather.

See you on the water

September 24, 2013

The NOR for the October12 race off Colonial Beach is posted under
the heading MPSA Documents MPSA_NOR_RI_20131012.pdf.This race is one of the Potomac River Series
for more information on the Potomac River Series see http://potomac-yacht-racing.org/.
The course for this race are posted
under the heading Courses.This should
be one of the bigger races in our area there are boats that need two races or
an a throw out will likely be attending.The Under the Guns Regatta,
Sponsored by Dahlgren Yacht Club is the
following day.If you want to get in
one or two days of racing as the sailing season is winding down this is the
place to do it.

See you on the water

September 18, 2013

The St. Clements Race scheduled for Saturday September 21 is
canceled due to lack of participation.The next event on MPSA schedule is Oct.12 .This race will be held off
Colonial Beach with a start time of noon.

If you are interested in racing this weekend; The Northern Neck Sailing Association
will be hosting the Kinsale Cup Regatta on September 21 and 22 off Coles
Point. The NOR is located at http://www.nnsa-sailing.com

August 24, 2013

Fall sailing season is approaching it sort of feels
like it is here now.There are a number
of upcoming events many of you may be interested in.

On September,
14 is the 6th
Annual Leonardtown Wharf Regatta. The
1st race will be held at Noon
on Saturday, September 14th
at the HI buoy outside the mouth of Breton Bay.This year there will be no entry fee, but contributions to the
Leonardtown and Ryken High School sailing teams will be accepted.There will be as many races
as time will permit and a happy hour and award ceremony at Fitzie's Pub
afterward.The Noticed of Race is
located under MPSA Documents titled 2013-lW-NOR. https://sites.google.com/site/middlepotomac/home/mpsa-documents

This next race on
the MPSA schedule is the St. Clements Race on September 21, the race is
sponsored by Dahlgren Yacht Club. This race has been a popular race; it
is our one distance race. This start is just outside Dahlgren with a
finish in St Clements Bay. This is a good chance to use your boat
overnight and enjoy company of fellow boaters overnight in a secure anchorage.
You are also welcome to come do the race and head to your home marina after
finishing.

If you plan to do this race you need to submit an entry form to DYC an
email address is on the form or Denis Bessette at <dbessette@va.metrocast.net> . Additional information is
located at http://www.dahlgrenyachtclub.orgThe Notice of race is also located at
https://sites.google.com/site/middlepotomac/home under MPSA Documents.

On October, 12 MPSA
will sponsor one race of the Potomac River Championship Series. The race
will be held off Colonial Beach using one of the standard MPSA Courses.

The Northern Neck Sailing Association will be hosting the
Kinsale Cup Regatta on September 21 and 22 off Coles Point.The NOR is located at http://www.nnsa-sailing.com

Dahlgren Yacht Club will be sponsoring a PRCS
event on the 13th. The race is the Under-the-Guns Regatta. This should be a good turnout of sailors that need 2
races below the 301 Bridge to compete in this series.

This is an opportunity
to get in 2 days of race just as the sailing season is winding down.There are slips available is both Colonial
Beach and Dahlgren if you want to stay nearby for the second day of racing.

See you on the
water

July 13, 2013

We are planning to have a race today we will be using Dahlgren
Courses. Short(A) & Long(B). Rendezvous – Y N “P” start time is 2:00
this gives boats with a little distance to travel time to get
there.Please be on time which is half
hour before the sequence begins.

June 23, 2013

The next race is scheduled for July 13 this is scheduled as a Dahlgren
event.

Dahlgren
Courses. Short(A) & Long(B). Rendezvous – Y N “P” start time is 2:00
this give some of the boat with a little distance to travel time to get
there.Please be on time which is half
hour before the sequence begins.

If you plan to come out please drop me a email at dw.mpsa@gmail.com. This will give us a better idea of what to expect.

Happy and
Safe July 4 to everyone

Here are a couple of other events in the area you may be interested in.

The Independence Race

July 6, 2013

1100 hrs

Near Coles Point on the Potomac River

The Northern Neck Sailing Association will host a “round the buoys”
race of a length to be determined by conditions but no more than 5
Nautical Miles in length. There will be two fleets, PHRF Spinnaker &
Non-Spinnaker boats with sufficient entries.

Headquarters for the race will be Coles Point Marina. Overnight slip fees will be $1.25/ft for July 5th & 6th. Regatta registration will be $45/boat. Friday evening there will be a skipper’s meeting at 1900 hours.

Regrettable the race
for June 8 is canceled due to a number of events in the area that some of the regulars
are involved in.

There are a few boats that indicate they do
not race due to lack of crew.Lets see
what we can to help solve this. It
seems to be more of a Colonial Beach issue at this time but is pretty common
in this game. The racing we do is pretty casual most is non spin, but
spinnakers are welcome.Get 3 people
on a non spin boat and you are good to go.

The next race is scheduled for July 13 this is scheduled as a Dahlgren
event.

Dahlgren
Courses. Short(A) & Long(B). Rendezvous – Y N “P” start time is 2:00
this give some of the boat with a little distance to travel time to ge
there.Please be on time which is half
hour before the sequence begins.

Happy and
Safe July 4 to everyone

June 3, 2013

The next race of the Middle Potomac Sailing Association is
right around the corner.Our last race
was success with conditions that kept a number of boats at the dock.Yes there was a little rain yes there was a
bit of breeze but I feel that is one of the points of casual racing we do.If you even plan to go for a cruise it may be
a beautiful day when you left the dock.But now it is another day and the weather man called for another beautiful
day but all know how that goes.The next
day is raining of course the wind is on your nose for the 25 mile trip
home.This is one of the advantages of coming
out with a group of friends doing a casual race.This is an opportunity to sail in
conditions you may not be comfortable but with a sometime on the water sailing on
a reach then a run and upwind leg.You
will gain experience and confidence in your boat and your skills.Bringing your family home from that weekend
cruise will be safer and more pleasant with additional experience sailing in
adverse conditions.

Our next race is June 8 this is a Colonial Beach
Event.The Rendezvous – Y N “N” with a
2:00 start time.You need to be on
station at least 30 minutes in advance.Most like to there and hour is advance this gives you and the crew time
to be prepared get a little practices in and allows for some extra time for
motor issues, crew issues or possible beverage issues.

Pictures from our last race are posted at https://plus.google.com/photos/115706028306818375074/albums/5883193086637845985?banner=pwa

May 11, 2013

MPSA is postponing today's race due to violent weather
forecast for this afternoon.

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE MARYLAND PORTION OF THE
CHESAPEAKE BAY...TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER...AND ADJACENT COUNTIES IN
CENTRAL MARYLAND AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA AS WELL AS THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA.
.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE WATERS
THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON.
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING
COLD FRONT TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WIND
GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE WATERS SUNDAY. A
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED FOR THE WATERS MONDAY.

We are postponing to next Sat. same place same time. Check the MPSA
web site for updates

Be safe

May 2013

Spring is here and summer is right around the corner.Now is the time to have that boat in the
water.Yes it may be a little cool on the
water get the jacket on and enjoy a spring sail.The views from the water are unlike any others.Now is the time to get out and see things you
will not see at any other time of the year

We also need to get
out there and get everything working.A
few spring sails will help.Now is also
a good time to get that Coast Guard Inspection.This is a nice sticker to have and to reassure yourself that you are operating
a safe vessel.There is always a light
that is hard to get to or the wire is running through the anchor locker just
asking to get pulled loose. Of course
there is always that fun job of making sure your marine head is legal.These little jobs could save you some
headache and $$ later if you get inspected by the CG.There has been and increased presence in Cobb
last year.I am sorry if I do not have
my CG or DNR straight.

MPSA is looking forward to the 2013 race series.We are seeing interest from some new boats
and from neighboring yacht clubs.I
know of a couple of new boats in Cobb that are interested and there is one
other boat in Colonial Beach that came out once last that has expressed
interest.If you know anyone that may be interested in
taking part of this casual racing take a minute to talk it up.I know there are a good number of Catalina 27’s
in the area; this could make for some good competition if we could get 3 or 4 of
you out.

Pirates Den Marina
has supported MPSA by maintaining a link to the MPSA off their site.Also remember Bob has a nice restaurant at
Pirates Den that is open on Friday and Saturday nights.So if you are looking for something to do
sail over and enjoy the quality food and beverages at The Riviah. Slips are
available or anchor in Neal Sound. There
is link to the MPSA site off the Pirates Den site. I know the MPSA web site is not always an easy site to find.

The first race of the MPSA Series is scheduled for May
11.This is a Cobb Island Event the
standard rendezvous for a Cobb Event is GC #19.Start time is 2:00 try to be there at least half hour in advance.This way we can get the race started on time
plus it gives you and your crew time to prepare for the start and the race. Courses are under the heading Courses on the
MPSA web site.This year we would like
to have you send an email if you plan to race.This would be a big help in planning these events.Please send an email to dw.mpsa@gmail.com.No need to say anymore than see you
there.Alsoplease fill out a 2013 Standard Yacht Race
Entry Form even if you have submitted a form in the past.The form is located on the MPSA web site under
MPSA Documents.

I am sorry to say I will not make the first race. I am
recovering from minor back surgery due to a bulging disc in my L5.The recovery time is expected to be 3 to 4
weeks.See you at the next race.

Sailing season is not too far
off.I am getting sale notices for
bottom paint, the days are starting to get longer, the first day of spring is
fast approaching, yacht clubs are posting their event schedules and I have
gotten a few emails from folks looking for the MPSA schedule. All of this has gotten me motivated to update
this web site with the Middle Potomac 2013 Schedule.

Seeing as we are more of a non
conforming yacht club things here do not happen like they do at some on the
more organized yacht clubs.But then
again they have elected officers with titles like commodore, yearly dues, and
clubhouses. If you know anyone that may
be interested in joining MPSA point them to this web site.

The Middle Potomac Sailing Association
is going into our 6 season.We will
continue with a one race per month schedule.We will also continue to rotate the races between Cobb Island, Colonial
Beach and Dahlgren.

MPSA
has been successful in helping bring sailors together from other nearby yacht
clubs.MPSA will sponsor one race of the
Potomac River Championship Series.This
race is scheduled for October 12.Dahlgren Yacht Club will be sponsoring a PRCS event on the 13th.This should be a good turnout of sailors that
need 2 races below the 301 Bridge to compete in this series.

As I was saying earlier get that bottom paint.
That will be Pettit Hydocoat for me.Now
is the time to start planning your sailing season.Take a look at the MPSA schedule mark your
calendar to make these events.These events
are a good place for some casual racing while spending time with friends and
family on the water. Now get that boat
in the water and ready for our first race on May 11.

October 12

The MPSA Race scheduled for Saturday, October 13 is
canceled.Some members of our
group are heading up to Quantico Yacht Club for the Frostbite.This race is one of the races of the Potomac
River Championship Series. To qualify for this series you must attend at
least one race north or south of the 301 bridge and this is the closest race
for the sailors on the southern end of the Potomac.

Dahlgren Yacht held
the Under the Guns Regatta on Sunday October 7.There was turnout of 5 yachts with 2 from Breton Bay, 1 from Kinsale, 1
from Quantico and 1 from Dahlgren Sailing Center.The rains held off and left a cloudy day with
shifty winds ranging for 5 to 10 knots.

As the sailing season winds down there are still some good
days to be on the water.It nearly
always beats being at work.Get on the water
and enjoy the fall colors.

September 30

As the fall season approaches The Middle Potomac
Sailing Association is coming to end of its
sailing season.There are still a few
races in our area.The fall season is
considering by many the best sailing of the season. There is still one more race on the MPSA
schedule it is a Colonial Beach event on October 13 the start time will be noon
at yellow N.

Other
races in the area; the Dahlgren Yacht Club will host the Under the Guns Regatta on Sunday October 7 .The start is12:00 near Back Channel
Red Nun #2. The race is the last down
river of the Potomac River Championship Series.There should be a good turnout with boats coming from up river and down
river.This should be one of the bigger races of the
season in our area. Additional information
is located athttp://dahlgrenyachtclub.org/
.

If you are following the Potomac River Championship
the Quantico Frostbite is also in October 13.There will be few yachts that compete in the MPSA Series that will be
making the trip up to Quantico.DYC/MPSA
skipperDennis Bessette of Shadowfax is in first place in the Spinnaker
Class.Additional information on in the Potomac
River Championship Series is available athttp://pyrc.shutterfly.com/ .

DYC hosted the St Clements Race on September 15
this is the 5th race in the MPSA series.As usual this turned out to be one of the better races of the
season.This is our one long distance
race of the season.Getting to the race
may have been the toughest part of the day with winds in the upper teens as we
beat to get to the start.But this made
for pleasant run down the river.We had
3 MPSA boats and 3 DYC competing.The
yacht Avona lead everyone down the river with ULLR taking the lead on the last
leg and finishing 4 minutes ahead.The remaining
4 yachts all traded positions with the last leg deciding the race.There was nice lift in some very light air of
the right coming into the finish.Vento
and Night Moose struggled through with Vento correcting to second.

MPSA made the October issue of SpinSheet, page
97 http://www.spinsheet.com/. SpinSheet will soon be available in Cobb Island at Shymansky's

If you plan to sail the MPSA races on October 13 send
me an email atdw.mpsa@gmail.com.

September 8

This next
race on the MPSA schedule is the St. Clements Race on September 15, the race is
sponsored by Dahlgren Yacht Club. This race has been a popular race; it
is our one distance race. This start is just outside Dahlgren with a
finish in St Clements Bay. This is a good chance to use your boat
overnight and enjoy company of fellow boaters overnight in a secure anchorage.
This will be a new moon weekend so the star gazing should be
excellent. You are also welcome to come do the race and head to your home
marina after finishing.

If you plan to do this race you need to submit an entry form to DYC an
email address is on the form or Denis Bessette at <dbessette@va.metrocast.net>
.Additional information is located at http://dahlgrenyachtclub.org
The Notice of race is also located at
https://sites.google.com/site/middlepotomac/home under MPSA Documents.

August 25

The Middle Potomac Sailing Association held their 3 race of
the season on August 11.This was a Cobb
Island Race.Yacht racing on the
Potomac in August can be very hit or miss. Wind is often lacking or more than
you need with a passing thunder storm.We were fortunate this Saturday with good winds, moderate temperatures
and thunder storms that held off until the race was over.

Getting boats on the start line can also be difficult at
this time of year with end of summer vacations and school preparing to start
back.We had a respectable turnout of 5
yachts, with 2 boats coming up from Breton Bay, 2 from Colonial Beach and 1
from Cobb.We were able to do the 8.2
miles long course.The start was
competitive with 4 yachts getting a good start everyone stayed close
through first mark.The 2nd
leg was close hauled with multiple lead changes due to a couple of large shifts.The 3rd leg of the course was down
wind with a reach to the finish on the 4th leg of the course.Race results are posted under the heading
Race Results on this page.

This next race on the MPSA schedule is the St. Clements Race
on September 15, the race is sponsored by Dahlgren Yacht Club.This race has been a popular race, it is our
one distance race.This start is just
outside Dahlgren with a finish in St Clements Bay.This
is a good chance to use your boat overnight and enjoy company of fellow boaters
overnight in a secure anchorage. This will be a new moon weekend so the
star gazing should be excellent. Additional
information is located at http://dahlgrenyachtclub.org

Saturday September 8 is the Leonardtown Wharf Regatta http://barnaclecup.com/2012-lW-NOR.pdf
which is the Barnacle Cup Sailing entry in the the Potomac Yacht Racing Council
(PYRC) race series. The
starting area for the races is near St. Clements Island.

Sunday October 7 is the Under-the-Guns Regatta which is the Dahlgren Yacht Club entry into
the Potomac River Racing Council events. It is expect several boats from
other clubs will attend. This is a good opportunity to see how boats from
other clubs are sailed.

The Middle Potomac Sailing Association will be holding a race
of Cobb Island on Saturday August 11.The start time for this race is 2:00 the courses are posted at https://sites.google.com/site/middlepotomac/home/coursesIf you have not attended any of our other
events do not let this stop you from coming out.Race entry forms are also located at the MPSA
Web Site.If you do plan to come out
please send me an email at dw.mpsa@gmail
.com this will help give us a better idea of what to expect.The weather for Saturday is looking promising;
Overcast in the morning, then mostly cloudy. Fog early. High of 84F. Winds from
the NNW at 5 to 15 mph.

The next race of the Potomac River Championship Series will
be on September 8, start time 12:00. This is the Leonardtown Wharf Regatta it will be held off St. Clements Island,
HI buoy.This event is sponsored by Barnacle
Cup Sailors.Addition information on this event can be
found at http://barnaclecup.shutterfly.com/
.We had a turnout of 9 yachts at the last PRCS Race this should be a good
event.

July 22, 2012

The Middle Potomac Sailing Association held their second
race of the season on July 14, the first race was canceled.This race was also one of the races that are
a part of the Potomac River Championship Series.This was one of our better races in which we
had wind and boats.There was a turnout
of 8 yachts with one yacht from DISC, one from DYC, and 3 yachts from the Barnacle
Cup sailors out of Breton Bay, with the remaining yachts being MPSA regulars.

The race started in light air of 5 to 8 knots with a slack
tide.The breeze remained light to the
first mark, but it then began to build to a steady 10 knots.The second leg became a close reach with spin
and non-spin boats having close to equal speed.Three of the spin boats pulled ahead a bit with
one non-spin closely behind and a third spin boat shortly behind.The jibe mark was again a reaching leg.The winds were beginning to build as dark
clouds began moving in.The leg became
as close reach with the spin boats no longer able to carry their spinnakers.The final leg of the race was close hauled
with building wind.The dark clouds had
moved in, and the wind had built to low teens.It was not long after this when the winds continued to build to mid-to-upper
teens with reefs being put in main sails and roller fullers being taken in a
bit.

The next race of MPSA series will be held on August 11, this
is a Cobb Island Race.The start time is
scheduled for 2:00, but watch for updates.We started the last race at noon and this seemed to work well for all involved.So we may look at moving up the start time.

Other upcoming events on the Potomac in our area include the
Potomac River leg of the Maryland Governors Cup on August 3.There are 11 boats registered for this leg of
the race.The race is 46.7 nautical
miles which starts off Yellow P outside Dahlgren and finishes at St. Mary’s
College.You can follow this race on
line go to http://www.smcm.edu/govcup/
look for on line tracker.

The Barnacle Cup Sailors recently had an article in the Southern
MD News it can be viewed at:

I hope your summer is going well and you are getting
some time on the water. The recent weather has been a little tough
although it is a good time to take a dip and look at your prop and
bottom. I was surprised the other day to find the bottom of the boat
looking great but the prop was a mess after being in the water for 2
months.

The Middle Potomac Sailing Association will be hosting
the second race of the Potomac River Championship on July 14. The NOR
is is located under MPSA Documents. Course are locate at https://sites.google.com/site/middlepotomac/home/courses
under Dahlgren Course.ppt. We are expecting a good turnout with boats
from Brenton Bay, Dahlgren and possibly from up river. We will score
this event with separate classes for spin and non spin. This would be a
good race to make.

We are also looking for a dedicated Race Committee if someone would
be interested in volunteering for this it would be greatly
appreciated. If you have not done this before no worry we will assist
you over the radio. We would mostly like to have someone taking the
finish times and possible shorten the course if the wind drops out,
again we will talk you through this. Please send Josh or I an email if
you are interested in doing this.

It would be great if we can get some pictures from this race to post, if you do let me know and we will work out getting them transferred. If you are can make it we would like to have you. If you are looking to crew we will do what we can to get you a ride.

See you on the water,

June 24, 2012

The Middle Potomac Sailing Association held their first race
of the season on June 9 off Colonial Beach.We had a turnout of 5 yachts with 3 from Cobb and 2 from Colonial beach.As typical with many Potomac River days we
started out with 8 to 10 knots winds which then slowly dropped out to nearly
nothing.With the good wind prior to the
start we chose to go with the longer course. Of
course we also had an outgoing current that was ripping down the river.The yacht ULLR had a great start and pulled
ahead of the fleet while the rest of the fleet struggled in a dying wind.This did not last long the rest of the fleet
began moving down the course.

After rounding the first we had a repeat of the start with the
winds again dying.But the current had
turned as we were attempting to go the next downriver mark.We were now sailing more typical Potomac
River summer days, which is disappointing considering we have had great wind
for the spring sailing season.As we
struggled along the course was shorten to GC.Shortly after this the winds began to fill in again, of course to a losers
wind as we call it.ULLR was working their
way to the finish as they watched the fleet move up.The Catalina 30 Rheaulthien worked their way
up to ULLR and was to windward after a short battle of ULLR taking us up we
were able to roll over and finish ahead.Night Moose also rode in on the new breeze and corrected over ULLR.

We then all had steady winds for the sail home, go figure.Results are located: https://sites.google.com/site/middlepotomac/home/2012-race-results

The next race of the MPSA season will be on July 14.This race is slated as a Dahlgren Race
meaning the course set up will be closer to Dahlgren at least a little upriver
of Colonial Beach.This race will also
be the second race of the Potomac River Challenge.We should expect the quality of racing to
pick up a bit with yachts from other clubs coming out that are participating in
this series.Check the MPSA web site
for any possible time and course changes; we are currently working out the
details.

The Middle Potomac Sailing Association will be holding a race off
Colonial Beach Saturday June, 9. The start time will be at 2:00 with a
rendezvous at YN which is our standard Colonial Beach Starting area.
We are looking for a good turn out I have heard from a few boats owners
that plan to attend. We have had good wind the past few weekends lets
hope the weather holds through next weekend. The forcast for next
Saturday is Partly cloudy. High of 82F. Winds from the NNW at 10 to 15
mph.

I hope everyone and their toys are safe after yesterday storms.
Southern Bay Race Weeks is taking place this weekend. They were not as
lucky in Hamptom here is a news report from Hampton Yacht Club [ http://www.wavy.com/subindex/news.
I know of a few local sailor that are there this weekend, fortunately
there were no injuries reported. This is a one of the best regattas on
the bay I highly recommend it if you get a chance to do it. I have
been there the past 3 years but did not make it this year.

There is a regatta next weekend at Daingerfield Island Sailing Club
http://sites.google.com/site/disc2014/. The is the GEICO Cup it is a
two day regatta in Alexandria VA. There are a couple of local boats
that plan to make the trip to do this regatta. If you plan to take part
in the Potomac River Sailing Championships this is one of the
sanctioned events.

Get your crew and put next Saturday on the calendar for racing off
Colonial Beach. As always there are no entry fees, no PHRF Certificate
required.

See you on water

May 11, 2012

The race scheduled for Sat May 12 ,2012 is being cancelled due to lack of participation as only a single boat has indicated their intent to race. A separate email has been sent to the MPSA distro group.

April 3, 2012

The first race of the Middle Potomac Sailing Season is
quickly approaching.The first race is
May 12 with a start off Cobb Island. As
in the past we will have a 2:00 PM start.We have new courses for the Cobb Island Races they are posted https://sites.google.com/site/middlepotomac/home
under Courses.I believe these will be
easier to follow.The rendezvous and
start is between G C “19” R N “20”. There
are two courses each course can be run in either direction.We will make efforts to have a windward start.
If
you plan to race please submit a entry/release form, it is located under MPSA
Documents.

Now get that boat out the slip.

There is quite a bit going on in our local Potomac River
Sailing Community.There is a new
sailing organization The Potomac Yacht Racing Council www.potomac-yacht-racing.org
.PYRC was founded by 6 Potomac River
sailing clubs to promote opportunities through joint club events and to administer
a Potomac River Sailing Championships. The
member clubs are:

The plan is for a 6
race schedule with each participating club hosting a race.Visit the PYRC web site for the details and race schedule. To qualify for the championship you will need
a PHRF Certificate. You do not need a PHRF Certificate to participate.

The first race of the series will be the GeIco Cup on June
9-10 at DangerfieldIsland Sailing Club http://www.discsailing.org/The Geico Cup and Leukemia Cup which are
held at DISC are likely the 2 biggest sailing events on the Potomac River.These are both well run regattas with a good turnout.

Other news which was in the last MPSA update is there will
be a Potomac Leg of the Maryland Governors Cup.If you have plans to do this race visit http://www.smcm.edu/govcup/
for more details.

Mark you calendar for MPSA Races, the sailing season is always to short.

See you on the water

Dwight

dw.mpsa@gmail.com

March 30, 2012

The Middle Potomac Sailing Association is preparing for another
season.This will be our sixth season.We will continue with a schedule of a 6 race
series with one race per month on the second Saturday of each month May through
October.The 2012 Race schedule is
posted on the MPSA web site.Mark
these dates on your calendar these events are open to all sailors no PHRF
Certificate is required no dues are required.There is really nothing else like this that I am aware of.Please take the time to fill out a 2012
MPSA entry/release form.

There will be a Sock Burning on Saturday March 24, 2012 sponsored
by Cobb Island Yacht Club.Sock
Burnings are long standing traditions in the Sailing Community.They are a great way for everyone to get out
and talk boats for an hour or so.This
will be a held on Cobb Island at Pirates Den Marina and The Rivah at 3:30PM with
a Social Hour and Networking with the Sock Burning at 4:30PM. The Cobb Island Yacht Club has been around
for many years they are making efforts to become more active in the local
sailing community, this is a good start. The invite is below and under https://sites.google.com/site/middlepotomac/home/mpsa-documents FirstAnnualCobbIslandSockBurningFlyer V2.pdf

There will be a new race on the Potomac River this
year.It is being called The Potomac
River Maryland Governors’ Cup.As many
of you know there is a race on the first weekend of August from Annapolis to St
Mary College this is a 70 mile over night race.There will now be a race from just outside Dahlgren
to St. Mary’s College this race will start on the evening of August 3. It is expected there will be a turnout of boats from
further up the Potomac and the local area.It is quite likely we will see 25 boats or more.I am sure there will be an equal number of
spinnaker and non- spinnaker boats.If you are interested in participating you
will need a PHRF Certificate and meet all of the safety requirements.The Barnacle Cup Sailors out of Breton Bay
were instrumental in getting this race started.

The weather has been good there is no reason for not having
that boat ready for a new sailing season.The sailing season is always shorter than expected so get out there and
take advantage of this weather.

First Annual Cobb Island Yacht Club Sock Burning

Saturday March 24, 2012We would like to invite all of our members (new, old, and prospective) to help us ring in the 2012 boating season with our first annual “Sock Burning”. Join us for our first boating season social of the year.Location: Cobb Island Marina Pirates Den and The Rivah3:30 p.m. Social Hour and Networking4:30 p.m. Sock Burning CeremonyFeel free to view this video of Eastport’s annual sock burning ritual.http://www.hometownannapolis.com/video/1237612036EastportBurningoftheSocks

A Potomac River sailor has passed.

A Potomac River sailor has passed.He was an active sailor on the Potomac River
from the mid 1980 through 2011.He was a
member of Quantico Yacht Club where he began racing in the Potomac River Racing
Series in the mid 80’s. At that time
there were active races in Quantico with regattas at the different Yacht Clubs
between Quantico and Washington DC.Each
weekend in the spring and fall there were regattas at each of these
locations.There we would all be with
family on the boat his two brothers and I making the 1 to 3 hour trip to these
races. During this time we took the
boat to Davis Island Yacht Club in Tampa FL for the MORC Mid Winters.

We continued sail boat racing in Quantico and at the upriver
clubs through the mid 1990’s.It was
around this time racing was slowing at these clubs and we were involved in
other activities.In late 1990’s we
moved our race boat to Dahlgren.There
was an active sailing program in at Dahlgren Yacht Club we all began racing
there on Monday afternoons.This was a
great move we continued racing there through 2011.

We raced Frigate a Lindenberg 22 all of these years from
Washington, DC to Dahlgren, VA.We all
became involved in sail boat racing again the boat and crew was always
competitive. During this time we went
through many crew members who are all still friends today. We raced at Dahlgren Yacht Club and also
began racing at other events on the Potomac and the Chesapeake Bay. We took the little boat to The Screwpile
Regatta in Solomons Island, MD a few times.We went to Deltaville a time or two while remaining active at DYC.

It was doing this time Ben and his brother David purchased
J24 that was damaged in a storm.The family continued
racing together on the J24 Pegasus with his other brothers Pete and David and another
son in law Mike and I.

After a few years of this he gave his Lindenberg 22, Frigate
to me so that we could get more boats on the water for the Monday afternoon
races. Again more family sail boat
racing now with and against each other.A year or two he went off and purchased another Lindenberg 22,
Papaya.We then had three different
family boats with family members crewing on each boat racing against each other.This included his son, 2 son-in laws, 2
brothers a grandchild or two and a daughter from time to time

Ben ventured off into a cruising boat during all of this he
purchased a 48 foot Morgan Out Islander.We brought the boat down from Chester, Md on a cool April night.This led him to Cobb Island there he lived on
this boat for a year or two with plans of heading south at some point.He later married Jane and moved back to land.

While in Cobb he and his brother purchased a 41 foot Tartan
TOCK.Around this time I purchased a
Catalina 30 which is also at Cobb Island, Pirates Den Marina.Here we are again 3 separate family members
with separate boats in the same marina.This all lead to many weekends of his 2 daughters his son and their
children, his grandchildren all spending time sailing or just time on the
water.

This is where this this story ends,Ben Kelsey passed away on February 25 at his
home in Lake of the Woods he was 75 years young.He was a friend to many.There are a lot of fond memories for 3
generations of spending time on sailboats.He helped each of us on any number of occasions there are more boat
projects between us all than we can keep track of.